Citrus growers lament that they are not on “equal footing with other sectors, such as tourism”
Citrus production in the Algarve rose by an estimated 10% in the 2023-2024 season, according to AlgarOrange, Portugal’s largest citrus association.
“This year’s production may have been about 10% above a normal year,” the head of AlgarOrange, José Oliveira, told Lusa on the sidelines of a citrus fruit conference on Thursday in faro.
According to Oliveira, this last season “went well” despite the problems that producers faced, such as water scarcity and pests.
The Algarve remains Portugal’s primary citrus hub, accounting for 88% of the country’s citrus output, with oranges making up 84% of the region’s harvest, followed by mandarins and clementines at 8%, and lemons at 7%. However, despite the increase, the estimated production of 335,000 tons fell short of a 2022 forecast by the European Union, which anticipated 462,000 tons.
Looking ahead, Oliveira expects similar yields for the 2024-2025 season but cautioned that expanding production is hampered by water limitations.
“We are not on an equal footing with other sectors, such as tourism, which continues to carry out projects and open resorts. The agricultural sector is prevented from planting new orchards,” he said.
The head of AlgarOrange assured that “there is a desire” to increase the production area, but at the moment the members “are completely constrained”.
José Oliveira also pointed to market volatility, explaining that the evolution of the price of oranges is unpredictable and depends on the conditions of an international market where there are many competitors.
“The disaster that happened in Valencia (Spain) could probably have an influence on prices, but on the other hand, we have oranges imported from Egypt and South Africa that we don’t know exactly what the price will be either,” he said.
AlgarOrange’s members represent around 40% of citrus production in the Algarve and 30% of national production.
Source: LUSA
